Frieght-car door.



J. P. PERSSON.

FREIGHT GAB DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1911.

Patented May 7, 1912.

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ATTORNEY coLullllA PLANOORAI'II 00.. WASHINGION. n. c.

JESS PETER- ]?ERSSON, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

FREIGHT-CAR DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 12, 1911.

Patented May *7, 1912.

Serial No. 643,769.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J nss P. PERSSON, railroad freight-train hand, a citizen of the United States, residing in Greenville, Jersey City, in the county of Hudson, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Freight-Car Doors, of which the following is a full and exact description.

The invention applies to a common style of freight cars, having a liberal opening in each side, which is closed by a door arranged to slide forward and backward 011 the outer face of the car body by the aid of rollers. The invention applies to all that class of freight cars. It is easy of operation, provides more surely than the ordinary construotion against being accidentally left open, provides for fastening by a strong device at the rear edge of each door, allows the joints to be so tightly closed as to prevent the escape of loose material, and to prevent the entrance of sparks, and still more important, in case of emergency, it allows the removal of a door and its replacement with little labor or delay. Thus, when a collision, derailment, or any little or great cause throws freight against the inner face of a door so that ordinary means cannot open the door by sliding on the rollers, my construction makes it easier than usual to remove by a direct lateral motion, and to again restore it for ordinary action as soon as the difliculty is overcome. The novel construction prevents the contents of the car from being seen from without. Having the contents of the car completely concealed goes far to prevent tampering therewith.

It will be seen that this is a self-locking door, closing of its own accord or by the jar it receives from the action of the engine in coupling; when not held open the door tendsto close and to fasten.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

The accompanying drawings form a part.

of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with a small portion broken away, and Fig. 2 is a corresponding top view. The succeeding figures are on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 in Figs. 1 and 4, with the parts in the position maintained when the door is opened, and Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4.4c in Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an important part, the eye looking obliquely forward, downward and inward at an angle of about 4.5 degrees. This part is shown also in strong lines in Fig. 3 in strong and dotted lines inFig. 1, and in dotted lines alone in Fig. 2.

Similar marks of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A is the outer face of the body of the car, certain portions being designated when necessary by supernumerals.

A is the gently inclined rail on which the door is supported and on which it is caused to travel in being opened and closed.

A is a guide flange on the rail.

B is the door.

D D are wheels carried on the door by the aid of brackets D D.

A is what I term the front stop, a fixed portion of the body of the car, it extends up and down the whole depth, making, when the door is shut, an overlap along the whole ofthe adjacent edge of the door. It makes a oint which will remain practically tight for a long period of active and severe use.

C is What I term the back stop, extending up and down in position to match tightly against the back edge of the door when the door is closed. It may partially revolve on an upright axis at its inner and forward edge. When the door B moves into the closed position, it usually does so by a sprightly movement, and its suddenarrest when it contacts with the front stop A induces a concussion which aids in setting into operation the automatic locking mechanism hereinafter more fully described.

E is what I term the rocking shelf. It should be a little below the midheight of the door,'so that it may be reached by the hands of attendants standing on the ground. It may be partially revolved on an axis extending fore and aft. It is easily raised by an attendant into the upright position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4 but it will drop when permitted into the horizontal position shown in strong lines therein. When up it is simply out of the way,it performs no functions,but when it is down in the horizontal position as shown, it holds the back stop C in the position to secure the door B against being opened; it is a strong holding orlocking means holding the door closed, with the attendant result of tightly stopping the joints along both the front stop and the back stop. The joint along the front stop A is tight by reason that the front stop embraces and matches tightly along the whole height of the front edge,

I and the joint along the back stop is tight by reason that the back stop is held in firm contact with the back edge of the door, being pressed against it by the end of the shelf E (see Fig. 3). To liberate and close the door the attendant lifts the shelf I until it is stored idly in the recess a in the side of the car (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:), and then turns the back stop C on its upright axis (as shown in Figs. 3 and 4). When this combination of two strong parts, the rocking shelf E and the turning stop C, are out of the way, the door is opened by sliding in the obvious manner.

The invention can be used with some success with only these parts, but there remains to be described an important auxiliary. In the act of being shut the door actuates a sufiiciently stout spring rod which turns the back stop 0 into the crosswise position and also turns the rocking shelf E to secure it there,in fact the force to move the back stop C is received through the rocking shelf.

B is a short arm extending a little distanee downward from the door.

M is a light shaft or spring rod extending up and down in the wall of the car capable of being revolved a small portion of a revolution. At its lower end is an arm M not shown in Fig. 1 because it is extending directly toward the eye, but Fig. 5 shows this part as well as the rest very clearly. This part M extends through a loose-fitting hole to the outside of the car and there it is bent again at right angles and extended forward a little under the door as shown by M Near its front end it is bent outward as shown by M this last named extension is in the path of the arm B of the door. The upper end of the shaft M is formed with an elastic arm M This arm lies in the small space in the wall of the car ready to act when required on the rocking shaft. As the door B in its closing mo-tion approaches the end of its journey the arm B strikes the part M and rocks the upright shaft M. This by the top arm M gives a vigorous push, urging the shelf E into its down position and carrying with it the also easily movable back stop C throws the whole into the securely fastened position.

N is a pin which the attendant may apply as shown in Fig. 1, if desired. I propose it shall always hang convenient, secured by a cord or light chain. I11 opening the door the attendant removes the pin N, lifts the rocking shelf E and turns the back stop a quarter revolution on the hinges which constitute its upright axis and the door is free to be moved as usual.

Modifications may be made without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. It is not essential that the projections 13 shall be of equal breadth and depth, in other words be square in the narrow sense of the term but only that they be of forms adapted to allow the engagement and disengagement by moving the wheels and the brackets forward or backward while holding the door stationary. So also it is not absolutely necessary to some degree of success that the fastening shall be at the back edge, but it is rather important that it be at the edge opposite to the fixed stop so that any violence at either edge shall have the eifect to compress rather than to rend the door. The back stop may, as shown, have a segment sunk where the end of the rocking shelf rubs forcibly under some conditions, so also the seal may be wired on the lower end of the pin N and the back stop may have a 9 deep notch to receive a staple. The top arm M may swing so low that it will not only give a smart movement to the rocking shelf and the associate backstop C when the door shuts, but will also press down on the shelf afterward. I prefer that to prevent its rising elastically or otherwise, the parts shall be so proportioned, but do not esteem these points essential.

I have shown a lip A on the outer edge of the rail or way A; the invention will serve well without such; the engagement of the upper edge of the door under the rail insuring the guiding. The arm B extending down from the door may be nearer the rear edge of the door or farther therefrom, the part M being made shorter or longer to match.

I do not in this application claim anything relating to the engagement and disengagement of the door-handle. I propose to make such the subject of another application.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a rolling car door of a vertical hinged stop cleat at the rear thereof and substantially the height of the door, and a shelf longitudinally of the car pivotally mounted in a recess in the side of the car to drop down behind said cleat substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with a rolling car door of a vertical hinged cleat at the rear thereof and a shelf arranged longitudinally of the car and pivotally mounted to swing from a vertical plane into a horizontal plane Signed at New York city in the county and a rod having a portion lying behind said of New York and State of New York this shelf and an end arranged in a position to 10th day of August A. D. 1911.

be engaged by the door in its closing move- JESS PETER PERSSON. ment to throw the shelf down to hold the Witnesses:

cleat against the rear end of the door and THOMAS DREW STETsoN,

thus hold the door against movement. F. A. CHIOKERING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

